Quotes
"'Mellow man. We got ourselves a nice mellow war today.'"
Ted would sometimes go too heavy on his tranquilizers, causing him to be the most calm soldier. He still had bad anxiety that would show if he wasn't popping tranquilizers or smoking dope.
Ted would sometimes go too heavy on his tranquilizers, causing him to be the most calm soldier. He still had bad anxiety that would show if he wasn't popping tranquilizers or smoking dope.
"The typical load was 25 rounds. But Ted Lavender, who was scared, carried 34 rounds...plus unweighed fear. He was dead weight."
Ted was an excessively paranoid man. The fact that he carried 9 more rounds of ammo than normal shows how anxious he was because ammo is not light weight. He also carried around his fear, which was probably the heaviest thing he carried.
Ted was an excessively paranoid man. The fact that he carried 9 more rounds of ammo than normal shows how anxious he was because ammo is not light weight. He also carried around his fear, which was probably the heaviest thing he carried.
About Me
My name is Ted Lavender. I am nineteen years old and a US
soldier in the Vietnam War. I am not quite sure why, but I was selected by my
country to come here. My anxiety is terrible and only getting worse. The puppy I
got to keep me busy was killed by Azar with a Claymore antipersonnel mine. I
pop tranquilizers and smoke dope to calm myself down. I just want to be numb to
it all. The shooting, the blood, the smell of death. This war is senseless and I
want to make it home to my parents.
It was a day in mid-April that changed my life. The Alpha Company soldiers each drew a number. Whoever drew the unlucky seventeen had to crawl into a tunnel to check it out before we blew it up. Lee Strunk drew the unlucky seventeen that day, making me feel lucky for the first time since I had gotten to Vietnam. I went off to pee as Strunk crawled into the tunnel. On the way back, I was shot in the head and killed. That was it, the end of me. There went my dreams, my hopes, and my parent’s faith, all gone. But the thing about war is that it does not stop for anyone. It shows no pity or sympathy, but instead continues in senseless motion.
Lieutenant Jimmy Cross had the Alpha Company burn down Than Khe before they moved out. He feels as though my death was his fault because it was preventable. Cross should not feel like that, it was merely my fate. It was just a matter of who strayed away from the group at that time. So to Lieutenant Cross, do not feel you are to blame. To my parents, even though I did not make it home to tell you, I love you. And to my men, brothers for life.
It was a day in mid-April that changed my life. The Alpha Company soldiers each drew a number. Whoever drew the unlucky seventeen had to crawl into a tunnel to check it out before we blew it up. Lee Strunk drew the unlucky seventeen that day, making me feel lucky for the first time since I had gotten to Vietnam. I went off to pee as Strunk crawled into the tunnel. On the way back, I was shot in the head and killed. That was it, the end of me. There went my dreams, my hopes, and my parent’s faith, all gone. But the thing about war is that it does not stop for anyone. It shows no pity or sympathy, but instead continues in senseless motion.
Lieutenant Jimmy Cross had the Alpha Company burn down Than Khe before they moved out. He feels as though my death was his fault because it was preventable. Cross should not feel like that, it was merely my fate. It was just a matter of who strayed away from the group at that time. So to Lieutenant Cross, do not feel you are to blame. To my parents, even though I did not make it home to tell you, I love you. And to my men, brothers for life.